The West Bar & Grill makes a triumphant return

When it closed down late last year, many Southeast Texans wondered if The West Bar and Grill would ever re-open.

On April 14, those worries were laid to rest as The West re-opened under new owner Mike “Tuffy” Hamilton. The opening was well received by former customers.

“It was more like a welcome back party, like when you come home for Christmas,” Hamilton said. “It’s been an institution for a long time and we just want to keep it going.”

During the six-month closure — which came about after TABC revoked the bar’s liquor license after a young woman died in a drunk-driving wreck — bar staff and customers were left seeking employment and entertainment elsewhere. Local bars picked up the experienced staff quickly, but most servers have returned to the place they have worked for years.

“There was a great staff anyways,” Hamilton said. “We were lucky to retain everybody.”

On a recent visit, my bartender had 11 years of service at The West under his belt, while a day shift bartender who transitioned into customer post-shift had six years of experience behind at the bar. The bar itself has been around for more than 25 years and, according to Hamilton, most servers have been around almost as long. The average length of a bartender’s employment at The West ranges from 10 to 20 years.

In particular, there is one familiar face that most customers will recognize: former owner Shannon Wilson has returned as the bar and restaurant’s general manager. As for bar patrons, loyal customers were eager to return to the bar where locals love to close their nights.

“It’s a neighborhood place,” Hamilton said. “It makes (customers) feel at home and they’re happy to be here.”

With serious bartenders, an abundance of games and a full-service bar with craft offerings that make it too nice to be a dive, The West has maintained the low-key environment that was typical of the bar before it closed.

“People are just happy it’s back,” Hamilton said.

Waiting for customers to return, Hamilton has kept the bar just the way you remember it, save for a cleaner floor and a new coat of paint on the walls.

During crawfish season, The West serves up mudbugs — and they are great mudbugs — every Wednesday night, followed by live music from 7 to 10 p.m. Weekday happy hours are offered from 2 to 7 p.m. and include $1.75 draft domestics, $2.50 domestic bottles and $5 domestic pitchers.

The jukebox, with its far over-used “Play Next” feature, is still holding court in the middle of the indoor table section. And everyone’s favorite Instagram-able bathroom sign is still shining its neon message of salvation up on the wall.

The West plans to continue increasing its craft beer line-up with occasional tap takeovers. Currently, they have bottles of various Saint Arnold offerings, including the limited release Divine Reserve 2014. On draft, they serve Saint Arnold’s seasonal selection, one Karbach offering (currently Hopadillo), Sam Adams, Shiner and Blue Moon for $4 a pint. Your bartender will offer you the option of frosted mug or room temperature pint glass.

Additional changes include a late night menu — still in development — that will be served when The West’s main kitchen closes nightly at 11 p.m., 10 p.m. on Sundays. The late night menu will be served until close, with snacks like mini pizzas and queso. The food at The West is considered by staff to be one of the bar’s best kept secrets; Hamilton enjoys the hamburgers and chicken-fried steak.

While fans of the bar are glad The West is back, in Southeast Texas bar habits are hard to break. It may take a few months for The West to return to the schedule of rotating bars that circulates in patrons’ minds. As always, the bar’s got someone out front checking IDs before you can even get onto the patio.

“You try to prevent everything as much as you can,” Hamilton said.

Still, it’s hard not to notice a slightly calmer atmosphere, whether it’s in the lengthy scrutiny the no-nonsense bouncer gave my baby-faced friend’s ID, or the ease of grabbing the bartender’s attention compared to previous West outings. Tentative or cautious might be the better way to describe the current environment as the bar seeks to navigate its controversial past.

To be honest, a more cautious bar is a welcome sight. While I don’t seek to trivialize or diminish the tragic events of the past, it’s important to occasionally reflect on how we serve and consume alcohol outside our homes.

It’ll take a few months for the current spotlight to fade on The West, but given the bar’s history as an institution in the Beaumont bar scene, The West will surely regain its title as one of the most popular local nightlife spots.